Tapping bush for beer barrels



Aug. 20, 1935. v J. F, MCKEAGE TAPPING BUSH FOR BEER BARRELS Fiied May 5, 1954 r Il /o 1 1 Jail? jj `BY Patented Aug. 20, 1935 U siren srares L einen eee-TENT gol=1=v1ei1 Y TAPPrNG BUSH non nnen., ARRELs John F. McKeage, yMontrose, Vla. Application Mays, 1934.,v serial'No. 724,124

' 2 Claims, (CIL 217-113) This 'invention relates,V generally,4 to' closure means for kegs and barrels, such as beer barrels,

and the invention has reference, more particu-V v larly,l to a novel improved tappingA bushor plug designed'to enable barrels to be tapped' easily,

vquickly andwithout waste. Y

4lin tapping keg's or barrelssuch as beer barrels equipped with tapping bushings or `bungs, here-v tofore used, it has been generally necessarytO.

remove thewoodenor other plugv from the bush.y

or` bushingv aperture and thereafter insert the Y tapping 4member which-serves to .close the bush apertureeinthe barrel. During the interval of'V` time elapsingbetweenthe removal'of the plug andthe insertion ofthe tapping member, the

Ycontents of `thebarrel are free to; escape and do Another 'object of'the-presentinvention lies'vin' the provision ofa novel tapping bush of the above character that is adapted to be readily threaded into abarrel tapping hole and `which serves to positively close and seal the barrel indeiinitely,

the said tapping bush being easily and quickly opened when desired, however, by the insertion, l i

` ,k and 5, the bush iis provided. with oppositely thereinto of the proper tappingV ttingj Stillanother object of the present inventionis to provide a'novel tapping bush of the abovey character that is of rugged and substantially fool-proof construction, the said bush being so ydesigned as to be unharmed by careless.' or imper" feet tapping or 'the forcefuldriving of theftap-` ping tool thereinto, while providinga seal for the 'tapping tool so as to effectively prevent `loss of the barrel contents Yduring yer after the tapping Vretained in place by Asuction as well i as by rnechanical'means, whereby the said gasketis prevented frorn being accidentally withdrawn when the tapping'rnember is removed from the bush.

Other objects of this invention, not at this `time moreY particularly enumeratedwill be clearlyum dei-stood from the following detailed description oftl 1,e,'san1e;V a A* f f, The invention` is ,clearly illustrated in the acconlpanying drawing, in'which:

Fig., l is-anfragmentaryvertical sectionalviewshowing the novel bush of vthisinvention about to be tapped byea tapping member.

Fig. 2 is an, enlarged fragmentary Ylewshoweing the bush inA elevation threaded into a barrel head shown in section. c v

Fig. 3, is a plan view of thev structure shownl in Fig. i is a sectional view taken along line 'em-Ji of-'Fig 3, a corklinsertingtool beingshownzin dashflines forv illustrating the' manner ofginsert-V lFigo-5 is a sectional `view taken alon g`line55.-5

' of Fig, 1, and 'n liig.Y 6.*is a fragmentary vertical, partvsectional view illustrating the. .action of the bush during the-improper insertion of they tapping member or Sirnilar charactersof reference are. employed in said views, to'indicate' corresponding parts'.

v Referring now to the severalviews of the said drawing, the r'reference'numeral l designates a portion of'a barrel head or stave having a somewhat tapered hole .provided with threads .2 for f receiving `the upper threaded portion 3 of.y the novel tappingk bush lofthis invention. `The top of 'the bush!! is provided withl an `annular outw'ardly directedlange 5 that is` adapted vto, abut the outersuriace of the barrel head or stave i when the bush is threaded fully into the .barrel aperture.` As especially shown in Figs.` l, 3, 4,

'arranged-and diametrically. disposed V.wrench re.-

ceivirig slots or sockets 6 that extendfdownwardly for a distance from thetop of the bush at opposite sides of the central vertical recess or cavity 'l `of the bush. YBy inserting theproper wrench v'downw''ardly intoslots `@and turning the same, the' bush Yange 5 may be screwed down tight against'the vbarrel I, so, that the bush, in eiect,

beoomesa part of this barrel or cask. l

The' slots 8 intersect an annular gasket receiv- .ing recess 8- provided Ainthe bush, l just below its i top, thesaid recess 8 communicating. with the .central bush cavity` l. .receiving recess 8 produces substantially semi- The presence. voi gasket .lof

annular lips or inwardly directed `angesSJ at the top of the bushel which flanges serve to assist in recess l Substantiallyseiniannular shoulders yI l determine the ybottoni of y recess "8, the gasket Yretaining alflexible gasket i0 within the annular flat tool into one of the slots 6 and forcing they gasket radially inwardly.

Belowrthe recess 8, the side walls of thecentral cavity I taper or converge radially inwardly somewhat and are provided witha plurality of mutually spaced reenforcing and guiding ribs i3 that extend substantially vertically within theA aperture 1. The lower or inner portion I4 of bush 4 is ofsomewhat reducg'ed diameterY and is provided withv a vertical cork receiving aperture or throat I5 for receiving astopper or cork I6. Aperture or throat I5 communicates at its bottom with the interior of barrel I and at itstop with the cavity The side wall-of throat -I 5,Y preferablytapers or converges upwardly and radiallyV inwardly slightly, for example about .002 inch per inohlength, to thereby the better retain the cork or stopper |6'in place in this throat and against the outward pressureof the barrel contents. iThe lower edge portion ofthe side wall of throat I5 is beveled or rounded at to`4 enable the compressed cork to flare outwardly at its -bottom, thereby effectively preventing accidental upwarddislodgment of this cork duetointernal gas pressure within the barrel.

A tool of the type shown'in hdashV lines in Fig.

n 4, is preferably used to insert the cork: I6 downwardly through cavity 'Iv and into the throat I5. This `tool consists of ahan'dle I8 having a shank I9. The cork I6 is iirst inserted inY an upright position into cavity the said cork being of larger diameter than the throat I5, as shown in dash lines in Fig. 4. `Byl pressing downwardly upon handle lfthecork IBYis forced downward- 1y into throat I5 while beingradially compressed, thereby obtaining a;goodgrip,on the side wall of throat I5.V 'The' cork is pushed downwardly until the lower end of shank I9 engages against the bottom of cavity I atwhich time the lower end of cork I6 has passed slightly below Ythe bottom ofthe bush 4, and since the restraining force ofthe side wall of throat I5 is no longer exerted upon this lower end portion of the cork, the same is free to expand, `and does expand around'the rounded edge portion |1 of the bush, so that this rounded edge portion provides, ineiect, a stop shoulder for the lower portion of the cork, and

lcooperates with the tapered wall of throat I5 to prevent the upward escape of the cork due to gas pressure withinthe barrel. With the bush 4 thus sealed by the cork` I6, the contents of the barrel are retained without loss forindefiniteY periods as during storage and shipping.

.The novel bush of this invention is adapted to be tapped Vwith a' standard ytapping member or tool (see Fig. 1) consisting of a fitting 2| having a tapered, cylindrical shank Y22 for insertion into the cavity 'Ircf the bush. As the vtapered shank 22 is pushed down into the open mouth ofcavity 1, Vit engages the resilient gasket l0 which Vimmediately snugly engages the sides ,of shank 22. `Continueddownward pressure upon iitting 2| causes shank 22 to press gasket II) radially outwardly somewhat so that a portion of this gasket is forced into annular groove I2 while forcing the air out of this groove. Upon release'of the downward pressure upon itting 2i, the same is rmly gripped and retained in assembled relation with the bush 4 bythe gripping action of gasket Ii! upon the tapered shank 22, this gasket serving.' as an effective seal between the bush 4 and the Vshank 22.

wardly into theY interior of the barrel I, thereby tapping the barrel. During or after the tapping of the barrel it is impossible for the liquid or volatile content of the barrel to escape therefrom owing to the'presence of the"gasket I0 which eife'ctivelyiseals the-'jointbetweenthe bush 4 and the iitting 2|. l y

Even'if the'tting 2| is pushedl from side to side or pulled upon, the gasket Ill nevertheless servcsto effectively seal the joint between theV bush 'and the iitting. The suction *effectY created by the reduced air pressure in annular groove |'2 of the bush aids materially in retaining gasket .I0 in place in annular recess 8 regardless of how tting 2| is inserted or removed. Thus, in Fig. 6V

the iitting 2| Vis shown being drivenY into the bush cavity at an angle to the centerline of thebush. In this case, the inner portion of gasket ID distorts so as to conform t'o the shape of the-tting 2| while the louter portion of the gasket is heldV iirmly in recess8 by the holding action of lips 9 and shoulders Hand by thesuction action of groove I2. `One or more of the ribs I3 serves to guide the lower end ofv fitting 2| downwardly and prevents the bursting of the bush bythe improperly inserted tappingr fitting 2 I. When Vthe Iitting 2| is withdrawn,'the groove I2 cooperates with lips 9 and shoulders II Yto prevent the gasket I0 being withdrawn with'the fitting. l Y

InFig, 6 the bush 4 is showninserted into a metal barrel I', the said barrel'being shown as provided with a tapped ntting 36'for receiving the bush 4. In this case the iitting 36 and the bush 4 should preferably be made of Vltlie `sar r1e metal as the/barrel I. If desired; the iitting 36 may be omitted,^and the unthreadedbush 4 welded or otherwise permanently secured within the barrel aperture. Y

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyV apparently widely dif- `ferent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the 4scope thereof,

A`as-deiined bythe following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown lin the Vaccompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:V .f v l. A tapping bush `of the character described comprising, a` substantially hollow cylindrical member having a threaded upperportion land a reducedA lower portion, 'an outwardly extending annular flange provided at the top of said cylindrical, member for engaging the outer surface of `a barrel, said cylindrical member having an annular gasket receiving recess within its hollow interior adjacent the top of said member, the outerV annular Vwall of saidreceiving recess having a circumferential' suction groove therein, a

resilient, flexible gasket Withn said receiving recess, substantially vertically,- extending reenforcing and guiding ribs provided within the hollow interior of said cylindrical member below said gasket, said rcylindrical member having a downvvardlyA and outwardly tapered cork receiving throat within its lower reduced portion.

2. A tapping bush of the character described comprising, a hollow, substantially cylindrical member, adapted to receive'a tapping tool and having a threaded upper portion and a reduced lower portion, said cylindrical member having an annular gasket receiving recess within' its hollow interior adjacent the top of said member', the outer wall of said gasket receiving recess being cylindricaland having a circumferential, radially outwardly extending suction groove therein,ja

resilient annular gasket within said receiving recess, said gasket having a cylindrical outer wall engaging the vertical wall of said receiving recess' and bridging the suction groove therein and having a cylindrical inner wallfor engaging the tapping tool in sealed relation, whereby when the tapping tool is'inserted, it serves to press the resilient gasket radiallyoutwardly somewhat so that a portion of this gasketiis forced into saidsuction groove, thereby driving air out of said groove and creating a suction effect upon said gasket, which suction eiect servesvto aid in retaining the gasket inplace and in sealingthe x 

